Soumyakanti - Mar 8, 2025 Apple has once again triumphed in a high-stakes patent battle, securing a crucial win against AliveCor in a fight that could have led to an import ban on the Apple Watch.

AliveCor’s claim and ITC ruling AliveCor filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC). They claimed Apple used their EKG patent technology in the Apple Watch without permission.

AliveCor had accused Apple of infringement via its Apple Watch, but the PTAB ruled the patents obvious over prior art—a conclusion the Federal Circuit affirmed.

Before the ITC, Apple argued that the AliveCor Patents were invalid due to obviousness. An ITC administrative law judge (ALJ) issued an Initial Determination rejecting Apple’s obviousness argument.